The Big Ten championship race is the best and hottest in college basketball. Two of the teams in the thick of the fight are the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Purdue Boilermakers. Additionally, both teams have been in or near the national Top-10 rankings most of this season.
Although the Fighting Illini and Boilermakers have been dominant on the hardwood, that has not been the case at the payout window. Both teams are struggling to stay at or above the break-even mark.
Two of the best coaches in college basketball will clash on Saturday when Matt Painter and the Boilermakers host Brad Underwood and the Fighting Illini.
Since 2021, Illinois has been a regular in the NCAA Tournament, with an Elite Eight appearance in 2024. In comparison, Purdue has made the NCAA Tournament every year, including a berth in the 2024 national championship game.
A quality Big Ten matchup on FOX means heavy betting traffic and strong viewership.
Get the latest College Basketball news, check out the current betting lines for the games, and don’t miss the basketball action, all with the best odds at BookMaker!
Illinois Fighting Illini at Purdue Boilermakers Odds at Bookmaker
Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, IN, will host the matchup between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Tipoff time is at 3 p.m. ET with television coverage on FOX.
Sharps will look first at Illinois as the quality road team going up against a power home team.
Squares will flock to the Boilers based on their status as home chalk and as a recent national championship threat.
Live betting will draw more action than usual for this evenly matched matchup of top contenders on FOX.
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Illinois Fighting Illini are 16-3 straight up, 11-8 against the spread, and 6-13 over/under the total. Illinois has covered six out of its last eight games. While the Fighting Illini have gone under the total in six of its previous eight matchups.
Illinois has NCAABB metrics of 76th for scoring offense, 83rd for field goal percentage, 126th for 3-point field goal percentage, 2nd for free throw percentage, and 26th for offensive rebounding. In comparison, the Boilers have NCAABB metrics of 25th for scoring defense, 24th for field goal percentage permitted, 87th for 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 22nd for defensive rebounding.
Purdue Boilermakers
The Purdue Boilermakers are 17-2 straight up, 9-10 against the spread, and 7-12 over/under the total. Purdue has covered one out of their last six games. While the Boilermakers have gone under the total in three of their previous five matchups.
Purdue has NCAABB metrics of 77th in scoring offense, 10th in field goal percentage, 11th in 3-point field goal percentage, 90th in free throw percentage, and 102nd in offensive rebounding. In comparison, the Boilers rank 33rd in scoring defense, 83rd in field goal percentage permitted, 61st in 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 8th in defensive rebounding.
Illinois at Purdue Betting Trends
Illinois has been a good value on the road recently. To show, the Fighting Illini covered the spread in five of their last seven away games. Illinois went over the total in five of those seven road tilts.
Purdue has not been a reliable betting value at Mackey Arena. To illuminate, the Boilermakers covered the spread in only four of their last 11 home matchups. Purdue went over the total in 16 of their last 20 home games.
In the series between Illinois and Purdue, the Fighting Illini got the money in 10 out of the last 16 meetings. The Boilermakers and Fighting Illini went over the total in five of their last six meetings.
Specifically at Purdue, the Fighting Illini have provided good value. Illinois covered the spread in three of its last four visits to Mackey Arena. All four of those games went over the total.
Illinois at Purdue Bookmaker Best Bets
The Fighting Illini will offer more value as the quality road team with the track record of success on the road and at Purdue. As mentioned earlier, Purdue is a consistent overlay at Mackey Arena.
Main Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini
Over/Under Pick: Over the Total
Player Prop Picks: Braden Smith Under the Total Points and Assist Totals
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